FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention in general relates to sewing, and in particular to a single- or, multi-strand having a needle pre-attached, or a button with a pre-attached needle; and used for the attachment or reattachment of a button.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Buttons are among the most common fasteners for garments such as shirts, dresses, skirts, pants, etc. Buttons are generally attached to a garment with a thin strand of thread that is looped through the holes in the button multiple times in a repeated fashion. The repeated looping of the strand acts together to form the equivalent of a reinforced thicker single strand. During manufacturing of garments, buttons are attached with machines that can rapidly sew the strand through the button's holes multiple times. However, buttons are prone to tearing away from garments through use over time, as well as breakage. The process of attachment of a new button or reattaching a button is quite laborious and time consuming. First, the thin thread must be put through the eye of a needle, and then the needle needs to pass through the button hole and garment multiple times. For example, a button with four attachment holes connected with the thin strand repeated four times would require sixteen needle passes. The difficulty of sewing on buttons dissuades many people from trying to attach new button, or reattach their separated buttons.

[0003] Thus, there exists a need for a button attachment system and method that is easy to use, and reduces the amount of time and effort required for attachment, or the reattachment of a button. There further exists a need to provide a button retention repair that has the appearance of a tailored button repair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A sewing system is provided for reattaching a button. A single or multi-strand thread of one to ten joined threads is provided with one needle pre-attached to one end, while the other end terminates in free strands, in a securement, or two needles pre-attached to opposing ends of the thread. The thread is typically from one to forty eight inches in length. In some embodiments there are synchs of the threads intermediate along the length thereof. [0005] A sewing system is also provided in which the threads are a woven single thread, or a multi-strand thread. In a specific embodiment, a sewing needle is pre-attached to one end of the thread, and a securement is present at the opposing end. An article is provided that has a button affixed to the article fabric with a professionally sewn appearance and strength while eliminating the need for multiple passes through the fabric and button.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIGs. 1A, IB, and 1C are views of a multi-strand pre-attached needle used for reattachment of buttons according to embodiments of the invention;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a view of a multi-strand thread pre-attached to sewing needles at both ends of the thread according to embodiments of the invention;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of a button attached to a garment with multiple strands with the multi-strand pre-attached needle of FIGs. 1A-1C and FIG. 2;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a side view of a replacement button retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle or a dual needled multi-strand in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a replacement button with a circular bottom face recess for retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle or a dual needled multi-strand in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

[0011] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a replacement button with a slot shaped bottom face recess for retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle or a dual needled multi-strand in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An inventive sewing system has utility in reattaching a button. Embodiments of the inventive sewing system may have a single or multi-strand thread of one to ten joined threads, the threads having a length of at least one inch with one needle pre-attached and a securement at the opposing thread end, or two needles attached to opposing ends of the thread. In a certain embodiments, the thread may be from one to forty eight inches in length. In a specific embodiment the thread may be longer than forty eight inches. In embodiments of the inventive sewing system the thread may be a woven single thread, or a multi-strand thread. In a specific embodiment a sewing needle is pre attached to one end of the thread, and a securement of an end knot is at the opposing end. It is appreciated that securements of threads illustratively include a knot of the threads, an adhesive, a solidified polymer bead, fused synthetic fibers, a collet, or a combination thereof. While the fabric to which the present invention is typically used to secure a button is woven garment fabric, it is appreciated that the present invention is suitable for attachment of various fasteners to other types of fabrics such as industrial sheet materials of woven and unwoven forms, as well as fabrics that are not intended for wearing.

[0013] It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values of the range as explicitly being included within the range and varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.

[0014] The terms "reattaching" and "reattachment" as used herein are used synonymously with "attaching" and "attachment", respectively; and intended to encompass the replacement of a damaged or lost button from a garment, as well as the addition of a new button to a garment.

[0015] The term "joined" is used herein to connote woven, crimped, or otherwise spatially controlled relative positioning of threads.

[0016] In certain embodiments of the inventive sewing system, the single or multi-strand threads (one to ten threads) are intertwined to form a knot or other form of securement where the securement at one end and sewing needle is pre-attached to the other end; or two needles are pre- attached to both ends; and in either case, the middle portion of the thread length is unwoven for at least 1 inch. The unwoven section is designed for securing the button and for providing the appearance of conventional separate multi-threads securing the button, while eliminating the need to make multiple passes through the button holes and garment fabric. The thickness of the threads is determined by the garment and the purpose for which the button is being used. For example, a button for securing pants may require thicker threads or more threads than a button for closing a shirt cuff.

[0017] The inventive sewing system uses sewing needles that are of standard sewing needle length or shorter and are straight or curved. The sewing needles are pre-attached to the woven thread ends by crimping, gluing, heat affixing, friction affixing, cinching, or standard threading and knotting. By way of example, friction affixation is routinely used with leather thong sewing needles having a split following end that friction retains the thong being conveyed through openings by the needle. In certain embodiments of the inventive sewing system, heat shrink wrap tubing may be used at the woven ends of the thread to create a rigid area to be used as a needle. Alternately, the woven ends of synthetic thermoplastic polymer woven threads are fused in a mold or otherwise drawn to create a rigid tip to be used as a needle. [0018] In use, the inventive sewing system is pre-threaded through a button that has fallen from a garment fabric, in such a way that the needles merely have to be sewn through the fabric of a garment (or through any material that the user would want to affix the button). In the case when the needle is not pre-attached, the thread passes through a button hole at least once and the garment. In certain embodiments, the thread is passed through the garment at least twice from back side of fabric-button hole on front side of fabric to form a loop and knotted or otherwise secured on the other side of the fabric to affix the button.

[0019] With embodiments of the inventive sewing system the threading of a recovered button or replacement button may occur as follows for a configuration using two needles on a standard four button-hole button. It is appreciated that a button is in some embodiments has threads traversing therethrough before the button, which is pre-threaded, is attached to the garment fabric. In other inventive embodiments, the thread is drawn sequentially through fabric then through astandard button hole, through another button hole and back through the fabric in a repetitive, conventional manner to sew the button to the fabric. In one inventive process, a user starts by threading through from the back face of the button up through any of a four button hole - button. The user then conveys the needle and pre-attached threads downward from the top face of the button through a diagonally located button hole of the exemplary four-hole button. Next, the user conveys the needle and pre-attached threads upward through either of the adjacent button holes, and then the user threads downward through the remaining diagonally located button hole. Following the threading of the button, the button is ready to be affixed to the fabric, and the user inserts one or both needles through the desired fabric. Next, the user forms a knot with the two threading ends on the back side of the fabric relative to the affixed button. It is appreciated that knotting also readily occurs intermediate between the button back side and the front side of the fabric. With such knotting often accompanied by a wrapping of threads around those joining the button and fabric to create a reinforced standoff adapted to engage fabric defining a fabric aperture intended to receive the button. The knotting may be repeated until a desired button secureness is obtained. The user then removes the pre-attached needles.

[0020] Alternatively, for inventive sewing system embodiments with the single needle- securement the same process as above is performed except that the process starts by sewing through the fabric first, leaving some thread on the opposite side of the fabric from the back side the button that is being affixed, so the needle end of the thread and this end can be knotted following the threading of the button. It is appreciated that the button retention system is suitable for attachment of single hole buttons, as used for example on coats, two hole buttons, three hole buttons, as well as the four hole buttons described in the aforementioned exemplary usage.

[0021] Embodiments of the inventive sewing system may be deployed end to end (as shown in FIG. 1A), which allow the sewing system to be stored on a spool and also allows the sewing system to be dispensed in a similar way that thread or dental floss is dispensed. The needle ends made of metal, hardened shrink tubing or heat hardened polymer are partially pre-cut thereby allowing the user to separate portions to form a pointed end of a needle, or a noted-above, synthetic fiber thermoplastic thread is thermally formed into a needle tip directly thereby precluding the need to sever portions to expose a needle tip.

[0022] Embodiments of the sewing system may be pre-packaged with replacement buttons that would be pre -threaded with white and various other colored threads for immediate use. In specific embodiments the sewing system may be implemented with replacement buttons that are attached to a garment or supplied with the garment. Replacement buttons are supplied with a fabric or garment so that an exact color and size of a detached button may be replaced with a matching replacement. These ready to affix buttons could be used by individual button end users, dry cleaner/seamstress/tailoring establishments and shirt/fabric manufacturing companies in their clothing/production processes.

[0023] Referring now to the figures, FIGS. 1A, IB, and 1C illustrate an embodiment of the inventive sewing system 10 with a single sewing needle 12 at one end and a knot termination 18 at a second end that secures a button to the back of a garment. Adjacent to both the needle 12 and knot termination 18 are segments of woven thread ends 14. The segments being equal to, or greater than zero inches in length, and in some embodiments is greater than l/32 ^nd of an inch. Between the woven thread ends 14 is an unwoven section 16 of one to ten threads that is designed for securing a button and for providing the appearance of separate multi-threads securing the button, while eliminating the need to make multiple passes through the button holes and garment fabric. FIG. IB is a detail view of the unwoven section 16 and shows five threads for securing a button.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a view of an embodiment of the inventive sewing system 30 of the multi- strand thread pre-attached to sewing needles 12 at both ends of the thread according to embodiments of the invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a top view of a button 20 attached to a garment with multiple strands 16 with the multi-strand pre-attached needle (10, 30) of FIGS. 1A, IB, 1C, and FIG. 2. [0026] FIG. 4 is a side view of a replacement button 40 retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle of the sewing system 10 or 30 along a button side. The replacement button 40 may be attached to the fabric/garment or supplied with the fabric/garment. In the event a button detaches from the fabric/garment, the replacement button 40 configured with the sewing system 10 or 30 may be used to repair the fabric/garment. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a replacement button 50 retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle of the sewing system 10 or 30 on a button face of the button 50. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a replacement button 60 with a slot shaped bottom face recess 62 for retaining a multi-strand pre-attached needle of the sewing system 10 or 30. In a specific embodiment a drawstring 64 held in place with glue may be used to extract the sewing system 10 or 30 from the button 60. In a specific embodiment the sewing system 10 or 30 may be held in the slot recess 62 with a peel away tape or adhesive film 66.

[0027] The design of multi-strand thread with a center section of loose strands sandwiched between woven ends used in the inventive sewing system may be extended to additional applications such as dental floss to improve cleaning effectiveness by providing an increased frictional surface area. Alternately, multiple strands woven lines could be used wherever single strand ropes, wires, cutting wires, steel cables, electric cables, fiber-optic cables are used to provide various currently unknown benefits.

[0028] The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.